What Dreams May Come
by washed away again
Summary: What if Sookie had actually gone to comfort Eric after Godric met the sun?
1. Chapter 1

AN: What if Sookie really did check in on Eric after Godric "met the sun"? And then she had that dream in response…

Also, don't own a thing.

Sookie took a deep breath and steadied herself against the doorframe outside her and Bill's room. For once she wished Bill was human so she could hear the even, deep breathing of sleep from his dead to the world body. To know that he was sleeping peacefully was a small comfort after what she had witnessed on the roof, first the heartbreaking goodbye between maker and child, and then the most beautiful death she had ever seen. She had seen far too much death these past few weeks, this was the first one that made any sense. She could not face sleep at this moment, could not see Bill's dead body on their bed and crawl in beside him. She rested her forehead against their door for a moment and then turned purposefully to face Eric's room across and down the hall. _He_ was probably still awake. She strode down the hall without taking another breath before she could change her mind. However repulsive Eric might be, he had just lost the single most important person in the world to him, and she couldn't stand another creature in pain.

She knocked on the repulsive man's door. Inside, Eric smiled. He had heard her breathing from down the hall, had felt her indecision, and then her sudden courage and decisiveness. There wasn't enough of his blood in her for him to feel her individual thoughts, and he hoped sincerely that that would be soon remedied.

"Come in," he said as calmly as he was able, covering his face. Nothing sexy about a face covered in blood, seeing a human man cry was bad enough, let alone a 1000 year old vampire. He faced the fire, bracing himself against the mantle with his forearms.

He heard the door open and then shut softly.

"Eric," she said tentatively. He smiled ruefully again. She didn't know why she was here, that much was clear. If he didn't give her a reason soon, she would think better of being in his room and leave. He turned to face her.

She gasped at the sight of his face, her hands flying to her mouth.

"Oh Eric, I'm so sorry," she said passionately, rushing across the room to him. She put one hand on his face and the other on his shoulder. The hand on his face brushed his forehead as if checking to see if he had a fever and then returned to stroking his cheek.

All thoughts of seduction or maximizing the grief angle flew from his mind looking into her face which gazed up at him filled with the sincerest compassion. And he felt blood tears come to his eyes again and he turned away.

"Dammit," he muttered, pressing his fingers to his eyes, but unable to stop his face from crumpling.

"It's okay," Sookie reassured, stepping in front of him again, "I can't possibly have any idea what you're going through, but I cried like a baby when Gran died. It's nothing to be ashamed of."

He smiled bitterly but took his hands away from his face.

"There, that's better," Sookie said, wiping the fresh tears away. "Sit down and I'll get a wet washcloth." She patted him on the shoulder and walked over to the bathroom.

Eric groaned in frustration at how this scene was playing out and sank down onto the couch, still staring into the fire, trying to conjure up an image of Godric dissolving into flames. Sookie returned in an instant and sat down next to him. She handed him the washcloth, which he took gingerly and began wiping at his face.

"What did," his voice cracked and he stopped and tried again, "When he," he struggled again, "Oh fuck it."

"What did it look like?" Sookie offered sensitively. Eric nodded mutely, rubbing off the last of the blood from his face.

"It was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. It wasn't flames, it was like blue and white and purple and yellow flickers of light and smoke. Nothing like when Bill was burning last year," she shuddered at her own memory.

"Was it…was it quick?"

"Yes, it was very quick. He was looking at me the whole time, I could see his face. There wasn't any pain there."

"Thank you," he said gruffly, setting the washcloth aside.

"Do you think you'll be able to sleep?" Sookie asked, stroking his hair. He sighed in contentment and turned and pressed his lips to the inside of her wrist.

"Eric," Sookie cautioned, drawing her hand back, "If you think that I came here to…"

"Didn't you?" He asked, his voice low, using every ounce of his seductiveness and charm.

Sookie shook her head doubtfully. "This is the blood," she said cautiously, "this is your blood in me."

"You think so?" He asked, grabbing her hand and pulling it towards him.

"Yes, that's what it is and you know it," she whispered.

"You noticed me in Fangtasia, the night we met."

"That isn't the night '_we met_'," she contradicted indignantly, "That was me and Bill's first date. And of course I noticed you; you were sitting on a freakin' throne!"

Eric laughed, "I think the lady doth protest too much." He kissed the inside of her wrist with an open mouth and let his breath wash over her skin. He grazed his teeth against her veins and they immediately swelled to his touch. He laughed again and caressed up her arm. He wrapped his hand around her shoulder and drew her closer to him. He ran his fingers over her collarbone and up to the pulsing artery in her neck.

"He'll know. He'll smell it," she stammered, avoiding his intent gaze. She put her hand over his on her neck and pushed it back towards him.

"I can't," she shook her head and stood. She swayed on her feet for a moment and then staggered a few steps away before Eric appeared in front of her.

"Jesus! I HATE when you vampires DO that!"

"Sookie," he said patiently.

"Eric! I don't know what you expect from me. Your maker just died! I just came here to _comfort_ you, not be your…your sex toy for the night!"

"Sex toy?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Don't tell me you weren't thinking it. I don't care if you're hungry, or tired, or sad, but you are not making a meal out of me. I am Bill's." Her hands were on her hips, her head shaking in anger.

"You're very pretty when you're angry. You smell especially good too."

"Oh my God, you're disgusting!" She stamped her foot in impatience, very pleased with herself and her righteous anger performance. This had been coming to Eric for a long time and she was going to let him have it.

"I don't see you leaving." He immediately regretted saying that, it would be the perfect exit line for her. He had practically just told her to leave. Any second now she would leave and he would never have an opportunity like this again.

She looked down for a second, and crossed her arms across her chest.

"I don't want to be alone," she said, looking up at him defiantly. "I don't want to lay next to Bill for the next twelve hours waiting for him to wake up."

"You're a very faithful girlfriend. A man falls asleep and you're in another vampire's hotel room," Eric complimented sarcastically.

"You think you're such hot shit," she threw back.

"Aren't I?" He smirked, raising an eyebrow, crossing his arms over his chest.

Sookie shook her head, "I know this is an act of yours. You're alone here. You're safe. You can…be yourself."

"Be myself? I'm 1000 years old. I have nothing else to be."

"I'm leaving," Sookie said, fed up. She turned to go but Eric grabbed her arm and spun her around.

"No you're not," he murmured, and held her face in both hands and bent down and kissed her. She made a strangled noise against his lips trying to push herself away but she was too overwhelmed for it to be anything more than half-hearted because he felt so good. She had always thought that being with Eric would be somehow colder than being with Bill, but she was wrong. She cringed as soon as she realized she had thought about this exact moment, about being in Eric's arms. About being lifted up in his arms and then laid down in front of the fire.

She opened her eyes to find him sitting by her side, watching her quizzically.

"Wasn't there something you were about to do?" He suggested, cocking an eyebrow.

"Not that I can think of," she shook her head dreamily. She remembered perfectly why she was going to leave and why she should still but she pulled the skirt of her dress up around her waist and spread her legs.

"Is that an invitation?" Eric asked sarcastically.

Sookie nodded and pushed her panties down slowly.

Reviews requested! Let me know if you'd like a continuation.


	2. Chapter 2

Sookie's eyes swam in the flickering light from the fire as she looked up at Eric who was now very slowly running a giant hand up her leg starting at her foot. She quickly looked away from him and up at the ceiling, trying to remember why she was here, why she shouldn't be here. As his fingers began to caress between her legs she found herself practically purring. There was no excuse for this, not even the blood. And if there was no excuse for it, she had to admit that she had wanted him for a long time, had wanted to have him at her mercy, had wanted him to beg her for the mercy she so frequently required from him as Sheriff. But right now she was completely at his mercy, at least she was man enough to admit it. As he inserted two fingers into her and began to move them slowly up and down her ridges she found herself trying to remember her own name.

And then he was on top of her, his blue eyes staring intently down into her own brown ones.

"Are you sure about this Miss Stackhouse? Because once done, something like this cannot be undone. I expect you know that by now."

She nodded slowly, drinking the sight of him in.

"I'm going to need more than that lover. I'm going to need a verbal command."

"I get to command you?" She asked eagerly, pushing up and struggling out of her dress. He laughed and sat up to make it easier for her.

"Yes my lover you do," he said, trying to straighten out his smile and be serious. And as he did he felt a pang of sadness, remembering what this night was really about. He saw Godric's face before him briefly before she spoke again, and then the image dissolved like smoke and he saw hers again in its place.

"Then do it. Do me."

"Ah, ah, ah," he scolded, "Show some respect."

She batted her eyelashes and turned on that insipid fake smile of hers, "Oh please, Master, Sheriff of Area 5, would you give me the honor of your…sexual presence?"

He laughed again, "That's more like it." He stood and began to take his pants off expeditiously. But as soon as he reached the fly, he felt something as impressive as himself fully naked deserved a little suspense and drama. And so he brought down the zipper very slowly and pushed the pants off his hips so they fell down around his ankles.

Sookie blushed and looked away for a second but as soon as her eyes came back she found she couldn't look away.

"_That_," she gestured with her eyes, although she imagined her meaning was quite clear without any gesturing, "Is supposed to fit in me?"

He smirked and got down on his knees in front her. Her legs were now clamped tightly shut, her arms over her naked breasts. He grabbed one of her wrists and pulled it to him, inhaling deeply.

"Lie down," he commanded. She did, trying to keep her eyes on his as best as she could.

"Open your legs," he fairly growled. Her knees were quivering, with either fear or excitement he couldn't be sure, but she swallowed visibly and opened her legs.

"Relax I'm not going to bite you," he reassured her with a grin.

"Actually," Sookie said a little too loudly, "About that. I thought maybe, no biting? I mean, you can do it without it, and well, Bill's gonna know if you do, he's going to smell it and…"

"Sookie," he whispered, settling down between her legs. He reached down and felt the wetness there and grinned. So it was mostly excitement, but there was fear too, he could smell it.

"Eric," she breathed back, placing her hands on his face. Her fingertips grazed his cheekbones, then down his throat to his collarbone, his sternum, flickered over his nipples. He closed his eyes at the pleasant sensation of her warm, gentle hands, working their way over his body like a sculptor amazed by her own creation. And at that moment, he felt exactly like he was just that, her creation. He opened his eyes, surprised to find that hers were closed and there was a delectable slight smile on her lips.

He leaned down over her; leaning on his forearms placed right beside her shoulders, and placed his lips gently to hers. Kissing wasn't his personal favorite. He knew the humans enjoyed it and therefore occasionally he engaged to please them. But he knew himself to be an excellent kisser by their whole hearted reactions. And sure enough, she was greedily kissing him back, her tongue fighting with his, breaking away only to bite at his lips. He reached a hand down and began working at opening her up, his fingers stroking the walls of her vagina, pumping in and out while his thumb played with her clit.

"Are you ready lover?" He whispered in her ear. She was already trembling and panting, her skin slick with sweat underneath his. She was so beautiful this way. The way she was meant to be, Eric thought fiercely. She was not meant to be tamed or broken, she is meant to be wild.

"Yes," she gasped as he twisted his fingers impatiently, "Eric."

At the sound of his name he drove himself inside her, sheathing himself to the hilt in one thrust, forgetting how tight she was, truly how new to this she still was. She screamed in pain, before quickly covering her mouth with her hand.

"Shh," he reproved, removing her hand, "You do not need to be afraid to make sound, and I am sorry about that, I forgot myself."

Even as he was apologizing he was gently moving his hips and he felt her squirm in response, her jaw clamped tight.

"This hotel is used to screaming, it is what it was built for. And all the vampires are asleep, dead to the world. You can scream all you want."

She nodded, and tentatively ran a hand up his back to his head where she twisted her fingers in his hair and dug her nails in savagely.

Now he cried out and it began.


	3. Chapter 3

"Are you all right, lover?" Eric asked softly, facing the fire, watching the dancing light with apparently avid interest. He suddenly found himself afraid that he had misunderstood what had just happened between them, that perhaps she had not enjoyed herself as much as he had. It had been several minutes and she still lay quietly on her back. She was normally such a chatterbox, and this silence disturbed him. But fuck it if he was going to show how worried he was.

"Umm," her voice cracked and she swallowed hard. She shakily reached a hand to her face. Her whole body was still trembling. She couldn't seem to get her bearings. She had planned to be up and out of this dark room as soon as it was over, but she couldn't seem to move. Her body still would not obey her mind and recover. She tried to place a hand on the floor so she could turn over and sit up but the hand twitched unnervingly and the floor didn't seem to be steady either.

"I'm not sure," she admitted reluctantly. She pushed herself up to sitting and winced at the pain she felt in her privates as she closed her legs.

Eric laughed heartily, "Humans are being told they should have sex with a vampire at least once in their lifetime. They are not advised on how old that vampire should be."

"You mean…" Sookie said, slowly re-dressing herself.

"That older vampires are harder, faster, the pulls of their blood and soul are stronger, and then of course there are the added centuries of experience."

"So it's not…I shouldn't feel bad that…" She blushed.

He chuckled again, "You should be very ashamed of yourself for succumbing to temptation. But the enjoyment, I'm gathering that you found the experience to be satisfactory, is rather inevitable."

She grimaced and began examining her body carefully before standing.

"I have not marked you. Compton will be none the wiser."

She nodded, and suddenly felt a rush of shame at what she had done. What she had initiated. What she had felt, and what she now wished she had never known was possible.

"Sookie," he whispered, standing up beside her.

She had thought that no one could say her name like Bill could, and it was true, but now with her name she felt a call to his body and blood that was entirely new and foreign. And she did not like it, but could not resist it either.

He pressed his lips to hers, to seal the deal she imagined. His lips were closed and respectful, brushing against hers until she grabbed his face and mashed her mouth against his. If this was the last time she would kiss him, and it would be, of that she was certain, she was going to commit it to memory. She is attacking me, he thought with pleasure. Just as abruptly as she responded to his kiss she pushed away and ran for the door.

He shook his head ruefully. She played these games so well, no better than a mouse in a maze. Except that she had found the cheese much sooner than he anticipated, or could ever have hoped for. He sent up a silent thank you to Godric, for in his departure, sending him a new lover. No one could make him forget one thousand years of Godric, but if anyone had a chance, it was Sookie Stackhouse. Eric lay down on his bed, still naked, and allowed death to take him.


	4. Chapter 4

Sookie once again found herself clinging to the doorway of her and Bill's room. How could she have been so stupid? 'Stupid, stupid, stupid', she reprimanded herself, banging her head against the door. 'Damn it, Bill, wake up', she commanded. 'I'm ready to confess, wake up!'

She pulled her room key out of her pocket and opened the door soundlessly. Everything in this hotel was silent, the walls several inches thick, the furniture heavy and plush, deadening any noise. And for the hundredth time that morning she found herself wanting to scream. This time she bit it back and made her way to the bathroom, still somewhat stiffly.

She peeled off her dress, her underwear, her bra, and stepped out of her little slippers. She turned on the water as cold as it would go and jumped in. This was her punishment, the beginning of her punishment anyway. She would make it right. She would atone for this. She would never forget and be more devoted to Bill than ever. She would make her soul clean and ease her conscience if it was the last thing she did.

The water froze her to the core and she relished the discomfort that was close to pain. When she had run the soap over her body twice she hesitantly warmed the water up. When it was tepid, she began to wash her hair. As she let the conditioner soak in she leaned against the shower wall and closed her eyes. She turned the heat up on the water and began to cry. It had been so perfect. It had been so _Eric_. This was her penance too, she thought as she began to embrace every detail. She would remember; she would force herself to remember every day and the pain would be enough to make it right with the universe, it would have to be.

He had been…words could not describe it. He had been everywhere and everything. She felt she was being suffocated by him, by his taste, by his smell. His body was everywhere, entirely encompassing hers and she could barely breathe as he moved inside her. The pain of being stretched and pulled stabbed at her with every thrust and she had never felt more violated. And she had loved every second of it. She had loved it when he had lightly raked his fangs across her skin, careful as per her request not to draw any blood. She wanted to beg for him to bite her, didn't want to admit how closely the blood was tied to her own orgasm, even as a human.

By the end he had conquered and owned every part of her. She had been shocked to discover that her skin was free of marks because she felt bruised all over and yet her nerves screamed to run back to his room, and throw herself across his dead to the world naked body. She felt broken to the core and yet she laughed as she washed her hair again, because she had never felt more alive or more beautiful, or more human in the arms of a thousand year old monster.

Just before she went over the edge the first time of many times, her last conscious thought had been, 'yes, I am good at this. This is what I was made for.'

Sookie shook her head to clear it, rinsed her hair a final time, and got out of the shower. She dried off expeditiously, put on her pajamas, and crawled into bed beside Bill. She checked but all she could smell on her skin was herself and her shampoo. She looked over at Bill. His face was the same as always, frozen and severe in death. Come to think of it, she couldn't remember the last time he had really smiled. Or the last time she had really smiled. She ran a hand over Bill's chest. Unwilling to spend one more moment in anxiety, she jumped to her feet, ran to her toiletry case and hastily took two sleeping pills. There would be no strange dreams tonight, she vowed.


	5. Chapter 5

Bill had never been more grateful for dawn approaching, and that was saying something given the endless tedium he had suffered for years with Lorena. How could she be so senseless? How could she be so ungrateful? And best yet, how could she be so stupid to think she could fool him with a thorough shower and an unwavering show of devotion the past few days. Oh yes, he had been kind, and attentive as always, no need to rouse her suspicions. Much better make her pay slowly, for years, from her own guilt. He cringed as he recognized his own ruthlessness, his lack of humanity. He loved her, after all. Even if his love for her had begun under the Queen's orders. Then again, humans were even more jealous than vampires, he had seen that well enough in Sookie's hackles at Lorena's former claim on him, that disastrous night of the bombing. How could he have been so stupid as to leave her alone with Eric for a second, even in a crowded party? Suppose the bombing hadn't happened, Eric still probably would have had his way with her.

I should drop her ass so fast her head'll spin, he thought mercilessly. I should fuck her so hard 'round back she shits blood for a week. At that his hands clutched at his head in horror. No matter what he couldn't escape himself. He needed to get away from her, and fast. Before he betrayed every code of honor he still clung to, even if he couldn't seem to live by them anymore.

Even if I wanted to ditch her, kill her, bury her alive, I can't, he thought hopelessly. I've sworn to Sophie-Anne that she'll have her telepath. Oh right, and I love her.

I do love her, he thought desperately. He had first given her blood to save her life, and to help his case. But when he had made love to her that first time, something shook inside of him. He was changed by the taking of a life for the first time not with death, but with life itself. And she had been so beautiful. It would be his best memory as long as he lived, and if he was lucky enough to come across God in the hereafter, he would use that moment to plead his case. See, he would say, this was something I did right. It might not have been much, but I took her life and made it something.

He didn't have long at all before dawn and he simply couldn't face the prospect of running into Jessica. He sighed in resignation and dug himself a deep hole just beside the front porch. The irony of hiding in plain sight of anyone wanting to attack him would be an irony sorely missed by most vampires. Eric would of course think to look there first, knowing Bill as well as he did. But Eric would not be murdering him during the day time, let alone this daytime of all daytimes. Eric has to wait for Sookie to choose him over me, he thought blithely. And she will never do that. If nothing else, Sookie is loyal to her friends. She may be a slut, and may never be faithful, but she will be loyal to her death. Look at the lengths we went to for Tara!

As Bill covered himself with earth he felt his insecurities rise with the morning sunlight. He loved Sookie so much, but was it enough? He had heard stories of Eric's popularity in the bedroom with both genders, that he was a pleaser as much as he was selfish. It had to have been good for Sookie, there was no doubt in his mind as to that. But didn't love have to conquer even the kind of mind-numbing pleasure only a thousand year old vampire could create? Didn't love conquer everything? Am I that much of a romantic that I truly believe that, he asked himself. Or am I desperately clinging to romance to avoid the inevitable, that I have already lost her. Already lost the love of my life, as well as the job I was ordered to get done?

I have to forgive her. Not just pretend to forgive her, although that will do for tomorrow night. I have to truly forgive her in order to make her mine. Because she is mine, no matter what Sophie-Anne will try to do to the contrary. She will never be anyone else's because I have possessed her body and soul and she has possessed me in a way I have never allowed myself to be possessed ever before. Sookie, I have to believe in you, I have to believe in us!

"Sookie you look lovely. That color suits you just like I thought it would," Bill said softly as she got into the car and he shut her door. Her brow was puckered with worry and she was just itching to tell him, but he wasn't going to let her if he could help it. When he proposed the guilt factor would be even more extreme, but she looked just dying to confess.

"How did you sleep, darling?" He asked, reaching over to stroke her face before he turned the ignition and the car purred to life.

"I had sex with Eric," Sookie blurted out suddenly, a little too loudly. Her hands flew up to cover her mouth and her eyes looked terrified.

Bill sighed and turned the car off.

"I know," he murmured, disheartened that she felt the need to do this, now of all times, this of all places.

"You knew?" She asked, horrified, and then she found that she couldn't stop herself from talking, from all the words spilling out, "It was after Godric…Eric was…I'm so sorry Bill, I'm so sorry!" Now she was crying, this was worse than he had imagined. Despite his fury he found himself almost crying too at the sight and drew her into his arms.

"Shh, shh, it's all right," he soothed her, stroking her back.

"How can you still be here holding me when you knew…?" She choked out, pulling back to see his eyes.

"Because I love you," he whispered, terrified she wouldn't say it back, terrified that one wild night with Eric and she would no longer belong to him.

"I love you too," she cried, burying her face in his chest. "Oh I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry."

"I don't blame you, Sookie. You had had his blood, and he was grieving. I do not think any woman could have resisted."

"But I should have, I'm not just any woman, I'm yours, I shouldn't feel…" She blanched at the word she had been about to use and froze.

Bill stroked her cheek and began to speak again, softly, "Now you will always be drawn to him physically, you will feel his pull more than you ever had before."

Sookie looked indignant and looked about to speak but Bill gently shushed her and placed a finger against her lips, "That's love or anything to do with you, it's just science my dear Sookie."

She continued to frown and Bill sighed wearily and stroked his thumb across her bottom lip a few times. She shivered and her mouth opened slightly and she closed her eyes, as responsive as ever to his slightest touch. Eric had not destroyed that at least, he thought angrily. He pushed the rage aside and spoke again,

"But-but, my darling Sookie, I know we are stronger than ever. Because now I know you love me enough to come back. That not even the irresistible Eric could take you from me. And I know I love you enough to forgive you."

"So…you aren't mad?" She asked hopefully, wiping her eyes carefully, as conscious as always of her eye make-up.

"Oh I'm mad all right. I'm mad at _him_. But that's nothing to concern yourself with. I will handle Eric."

She gulped at the dangerous edge in his voice.

"Let's not let him ruin our evening. Shall we?" He asked, and at her jerky nod he started the car again, and peeled out of Sookie's driveway.


	6. Chapter 6

"Eric, stop moping," Pam drawled as she stopped in Eric's office doorway on her way back out onto the floor. Fangtasia was rocking tonight but Eric had refused to sit on his throne. Pam had known Eric to be a bit of a drama queen, but normally no matter how upset he was, he had to practically be pried off his throne.

"I am not moping, Pam. I am brooding. I have recently been studying up on vampire pop culture. I read a charming little piece of trash called Twilight, and seen a hot little blonde named Buffy, and I have learned the vampires are supposed to brood. Watch me brood."

Pam rolled her eyes.

"Get over it, Eric. Or better yet, deal with the deeper issues. Your maker just died, and all I've heard about since you got back from Dallas is 'Sookie this', 'Sookie that'."

"Careful, lover, you speak out of turn."

Pam shrugged carelessly. "I'm the only family you have left now."

Eric frowned and turned in his chair away from her. Pam sighed in frustration and cross the room to him and stood in front of him, her hands on his shoulders. She lifted his chin with one finger and fervently pressed her lips to his forehead.

"This too shall pass," she whispered in a loving voice foreign to Eric's ears, "And by all rights more quickly than it should."

He smiled up at her and she ruffled his hair affectionately.

"I'll see if Yvetta's engaged at the moment and send her back to you," Pam said in her normal dry tone.

Eric started to make a witty reply but the telephone rang and interrupted him. He answered the call impatiently,

"Fangtasia, the bar with a bite."

"The game is up, Eric," he heard Sookie's voice spit from the receiver.

Pam's eyebrows went up at the loud, shrill caller, and Eric nodded slightly, answering her unspoken question. He pressed the speaker button and set the phone back in its cradle and leaned back, smiling indulgently.

"Miss Stackhouse," he greeted pleasantly, "How may I be of assistance to you tonight?"

Several miles away Sookie stomped her foot in the deserted restaurant, furious that he could sound so calm when he had just had Bill kidnapped and possibly killed.

"Eric I am giving you one last chance!"

Eric grinned broadly, "That sounds like an invitation. What am I being invited to?"

"Return Bill!" She shouted into her cell phone, earning her an angry glare from the waitress and busboy who were righting the restaurant.

"Sookie, lover, that's not even a complete sentence. Return Bill where? To whom? Which Blockbuster did you rent him from?" He was chuckling to himself now and Pam couldn't help but smile.

"Master, it sounds as if Mr. Compton has gone missing."

"Is that Pam?" Sookie's voice demanded, "Is Pam there? Pam, you gotta help me out. Your boss has kidnapped –and possibly even killed-my boyfriend…fiancé," she correctly herself impatiently.

"Is this true, Eric?" Pam asked indifferently.

Eric shrugged and answered her in a sentence of rapid Swedish.

"I heard that," Sookie snapped, "Listen, Pam. Eric's just upset because of a little mishap we had in Dallas…"

"There was nothing 'little' about our evening together, Sookie," Eric interrupted, "Except for perhaps that little squeak you made when I-

"Eric," Sookie shouted.

Pam laughed, "I gather you've joined the 'I Fucked Eric Northman Club'. It sounds like we'll have to work on your member pride however. And just between us girls I'd love a few juicy details. It's been years since I've been with Eric and I've so been wondering if he's picked up any new moves."

"Pam," Eric cut in warningly.

"Wait-you and Eric…?"

"For decades. Americans seem to think that 'bigger is better' but frankly I've grown to appreciate subtlety more over the years."

"He seemed pretty subtle to me," Sookie blurted out, then blushed when she heard herself defending him.

"Oh, you're a keeper then if he gave you the _full _treatment."

"Enough," Eric roared, and then continued much more quietly, "Sookie, Bill has disappeared?"

"Quite literally vanished while I was in the bathroom. It looked like there was a struggle though."

"I see. Pam will be there in ten minutes and bring you to me."

Sookie told Eric the name of the restaurant while the waitress hesitantly approached Sookie with the check.

"And Pam," Sookie said anxiously when she saw the total, "Hurry."

When Pam arrived at the restaurant it had closed its doors and Sookie was huddled under a street lamp in the small parking lot.

"I'm sorry I kept you waiting," Pam apologized smoothly as Sookie got into Eric's red convertible, "I hope you don't mind I took a moment to change. I was on the floor tonight and I imagined you wouldn't want to be retrieved by me in my leather ensemble."

"Honestly Pam, I am so glad to see you right now I wouldn't care if you were naked as a jaybird."

"Too bad. That would have been fun."

Pam peeled the car out of the restaurant parking lot and soon they were flying on the highway.

"I told them to go home…the waitress, the cooks. I thought I might start crying before you got there and I didn't want them thinkin'…" her voice trailed off and she turned away to stare out the window.

"You're holding up pretty well all things considered. Though you have had a good bit of practice with that by now."

"Too much practice if you ask me," Sookie agreed, "I thought with Maryann gone things might go back to normal."

"You're in the vampire world now…there's no such thing as normal. And a morsel as delectable as you…there will always be trouble. Until you're turned that is of course."

"Turned?" Sookie asked with a blank stare.

"I assumed with that rock on your hand Bill had made another kind of proposal to make things more…permanent?"

"Nope."

"Pity. He should get on that while things are still high and…tight."

Sookie blushed and glanced out the window again, only to notice they were speeding past the strip mall with Fangtasia in it.

"Where are we going?"

"Eric's place. Believe me, it's an honor. Chow hasn't even been there."

Sookie nodded and swallowed hard. She had a sudden image of being locked away in Eric's house…Eric's bedroom…held captive…chained up…pinned down. She shook her head to clear it but she could still feel her heart racing. She hoped Pam would attribute it to fear.

Pam grinned at Sookie's erratic pulse and the heat that was now beginning to emanate from the little blonde human. She secretly hoped Eric would be the one to turn her; she'd enjoy an eternity with this one.

**AN: Do not fear, there will be more sex soon.**


	7. Chapter 7

Pam pulled the car into the driveway and the two women approached the small white house. Sookie was surprised to see that it was completely ordinary, on a completely ordinary street. Pam turned on a few lights when they got inside and Sookie could see the very unordinary insides of the house. They were in the living room, Sookie supposed, though the furniture and décor was so eclectic Sookie couldn't really tell what the room was used for. There was an old gramophone, a wet bar along the back wall, a dusty mauve chaise lounge where the couch would be, a Native American drum on the west wall, and a carved crystal lamp made of rose quartz on an end table. She also noticed with dismay that there was a pair of fabulous alligator pumps in front of the chaise lounge and a few bottles of nail polish beside the lamp. Perhaps Eric had entertained company last night?"

"I live here too at the moment," Pam said smoothly, happily noticing Sookie's jealousy, "Eric asked me to take care of the place while he was in Dallas, and I thought I'd stay on for a bit. We've lived together off and on over the years of course. And Eric, well I don't think he should be living alone right now."

Sookie didn't think she'd ever heard Pam talk so much, but then again, she'd never really been alone with Pam before.

"This is my room," Pam continued, leading the way down a hallway. She opened the door for Sookie and ushered her in. "You're welcome to slip into something more comfortable. That dress is lovely, although the color is a miss with your complexion."

"I'll have you know it's my favorite color," Sookie said indignantly.

"No it's not. Your favorite color is yellow," Pam corrected.

Sookie's mouth snapped shut in surprise and Pam raised her eyebrows in reply with a smirk. Sookie marched over to Pam's dresser and began slamming around drawers, looking for pajamas or sweat pants.

"So tell me, Sookie, did Eric go down on you first?"

"I am NOT in the mood for girl talk tonight, Pam," Sookie retorted, yanking a pair of silk pajamas out of the dresser. Belatedly she noticed with chagrin that they were red.

"So Bill proposed this evening."

"I said no girl talk, Pam," Sookie's voice was dangerous this time.

"Sorry, sorry. Temper, temper."

"No, I'm sorry. It's just…" Sookie quickly shrugged out of her dress and slipped into the pajamas. After she had changed she realized she had forgotten to be modest, and found that she didn't care. "It's just that with everything that's happened, Bill's been the one who's always been there. Now that he's the one that's in trouble, and he needs my help…I feel more lost than ever."

She really looked adorable when she was a lost little puppy.

"I thought you didn't want any girl talk."

Sookie shrugged and got under the covers of Pam's bed and curled up on her side. Pam stood and started walking for the door.

"Pam," Sookie called, "Thanks for being something like a friend tonight."

"It was my pleasure. Good night little human."

"Sookie," Eric's voice immediately brought her out of the light sleep she was in. His eyes were the gentlest she'd ever seen them. He was sitting on the bed beside her, examining her carefully.

"Have you heard from Bill?" She asked.

He shook his head, "I have been to see the Queen."

Sookie frowned, "What did you go to see her for?"

Eric sighed and rubbed his hands over his face before answering. She had never seen him this tired, perhaps daylight was approaching? There were light-tight shades on all the windows in the room and she had no idea what time of day or night it was.

"Vampires politics are more complicated than you can possibly imagine my little telepath. I had reason to believe Sophie-Anne might have been behind Bill's disappearance. I am now certain she is not. However, for whatever reason, I am convinced that she does not want him to be found."

"You mean?"

"I do not know why but somehow Bill is very important to some plan of hers."

Sookie narrowed her eyes and focused all her attention on penetrating Eric's mind, but it was still blank. However, even without telepathy she could tell when she was being lied to, and he was lying.

"You're lying," she said carefully, "There's more to this, and you do know what's going on."

"Very perceptive, lover," he replied appreciatively, "But it is none of your business for the time being."

She looked down. As frustrating as that answer and this whole situation were, she knew if she wanted Eric's help at all she would have to play the game his way. She looked down at the engagement ring on her left hand. This was really all her fault this was happening. After all, it wouldn't have happened if not for her doubts. And, she thought with a delicious change of emotion, those doubts were _Eric's_ fault.

Eric registered her abrupt change in emotion and swiftly countered it,

"Whatever conversation we may need to have, lover, we will have after Bill Compton has been safely restored to you."

"Eric," she whined, and she reached up a trembling hand to caress his cheek, "I can't live like this. I can't live with myself."

"If Bill's kidnapper has his way, you may not have to for very much longer anyway," he replied brutally, trapping her hand against his face, and then bringing it down to his lips for a chaste kiss.

"Eric please give me something here, I'm trying my best," she said, running the just-kissed hand down his chest, artlessly tracing his nipples.

"For this, lover, we need only wait until next nightfall, but now dawn is fast approaching."

"Fine. Clearly you get what you want when you want it, and don't care at all what others are feeling," she snapped, feeling uneasy about the strength of her reaction to his rejection. She did not turn away, but resolutely looked at the closet instead of his face.

"Have I ever done anything to make you think otherwise? I am a vampire, I have not lived this long by pleasing others." He immediately regretted his harsh words, however true they may be. He had Sookie Stackhouse vulnerable, and practically in his arms, begging for his help. This kind of situation didn't fall into his lap every day, and here he was making a mess of it.

"Sookie," he murmured softly, and stroked her silken blonde hair away from her face. She still wouldn't look at him in the eye, and kept her stony stare fixed on Pam's open closet.

He sighed. He would not humble himself by begging her to look at him, talk to him, tell him she forgave him.

"It's almost dawn. I highly suggest you stay here and do not try to go home yet."

"So I'm being held prisoner," Sookie said, still refusing to look at him.

Eric laughed at the pleasant mental picture that conjured up, "Believe me, lover, when you are my prisoner, you will know it. I'm merely thinking of your own safety and comfort. I have been given reason to believe you are in danger, and no one knows this is my home and thus they will not find you here. Try to rest. Good night, lover."

"Good night giant pain in my ass."

Eric smiled and reluctantly left her to her thoughts. As soon as he'd closed the door behind him the smile died on his lips.

"That was a touching scene," Pam drawled from her seat at the end of the hallway.

"Pamela," he said simply.

"Eric?" She was immediately at his side with her hand on his arm, "What's wrong?"

And then Eric was whispering so quietly Pam could hardly hear him even with her vampire hearing,

"When Bill first returned to Bon Temps several weeks ago it was at Sophie-Anne's order. He had been ordered to obtain the telepath waitress Sookie Stackhouse and once having secured her, deliver her to the Queen. Everything Bill has ever told her was a lie."

Pam's eyes widened both in surprise at this vital new piece of information, and in shock at the amount of outrage about it that was pouring off Eric in waves.

"And you just told her this? Is she all right?" Pam moved to open the door in concern but Eric stopped her.

"I have not told her. Yet."

"I would think you would be eager to divulge anything that would make the little blood bag jump into your arms."

"To tell her now would be too noble," Eric corrected, "And I am not that noble. I want this secret made public after Mr. Compton and Sookie have already had a tearful reunion. I will make her aware of this secret when she has already been back in my arms of her own free will."

"You're right, that does sound more like you," Pam agreed easily, as they both went into Eric's bedroom, pushed aside his dresser, climbed into the small secret room, pulled the dresser back in front of the entrance and lay down on the ground. Eric stretched his arms and legs languidly, more pleased with himself than he had been since Godric died.

"When you do tell her, can I watch?" Pam asked cheerily, rolling over onto her stomach and companionably running a hand over her master's chest. He laughed and patted her hand.

"It wouldn't be nearly as much fun without you."


	8. Chapter 8

As soon as Sookie was alone, and Eric and Pam had probably fallen asleep, she thought she would fall right back into crying and then resting. Instead, she felt strangely energized, and once she thought sure her vampire captors were dead to the world, she jumped out of bed, rolled up the too-long pajama pants and prepared to explore the house. She guiltily thought of what Gran would say about her snooping through somebody's house. But that quickly led to what Gran would say about a lot of things she'd done lately, and quickly pushed that regret aside. Now was not the time. When all this is over…I feel like I've been saying that a lot, she thought, 'when all this is over', and it hasn't been.

She started with Pam's room, gently sifting through drawers and boxes. While she had found several things that had made her blush, she hadn't found anything that would help her. Of course it would help if I knew what I was looking for, she thought with frustration. She didn't know what she was looking for, exactly, just some clue, some trace of information that would spark a thought and then a solution. She was _positive_ Eric knew more, much more, than he had said. Likely as not he was planning to torture her with the information later.

She left Pam's room and moved down the hall back to the main area and sat down on the mauve chaise lounge, fully prepared to sulk before continuing her search. But just as she sat down she spied a spider slowly making its way across the floor to her. She got up and grabbed one of the alligator pumps, prepared to squish when she spider made a charge forward, through her feet and under the chaise lounge. She crouched down and peered under the furniture, trying to see where it had gone. Yes, there it was, crawling up the leg to the underside of the seat. She shuddered at the idea of it crawling up on the seat while she sat there and smashed the shoe at it on the leg of the chaise lounge. At the impact, a thin manila folder fell from where it had been tucked between the wooden slats holding the seat up and the cushion itself. Sookie pulled it out and with horror read the label: William "Bill" T. Compton 1835-.

"Oh my God," she whispered, opening the file. Inside were several sheets of paper and a pile of receipts paper-clipped together. She tried to remove the paper-clip carefully, but regardless the tiny pieces of paper burst forth and fluttered to the ground. Hesitantly she picked up one.

Merlotte's $4.75

She frowned, dropped it and picked up another. And another, and another.

Merlotte's $6.50

LouAnn's Flowers $3.09

AMPM $40.67

Cisco $32.49

And then the worst one.

Jessica McClintock $341.57

The date on that one was just three days ago. She frantically pushed the receipts away from her and went for the papers. They appeared to be printed out emails. The sender address on the top one was

There was no greeting at the top, just the beginning of a message that had Sookie in tears before she had read through to the end of it.

_Your little romance is costing me, Bill. The dress? Really necessary? I expect her to be delivered to me no later than 4 a.m. Sunday, is that clear? If you in any way think you can weasel your way out of your half of the bargain, you have another think coming. Remember how much money you will ower me should the little telepath not be in my arms by the 15__th__. And we both know how seriously both your sheriff and the magister take matters of wealth. Ta-ta for now. Don't disappoint me you pathetic little lover boy._

_ S.A._

Sookie dropped the stack of papers like it was on fire. And then she was frozen, as if her brain refused to process anything she had just read, as if it was refusing even to take it in.

She read the email three more times, not bothering to read the others, not wanting more evidence to pile up against him when this was more than enough. It didn't take a genius to figure out who "S.A." was. And aside from Barry the bell-hop at Hotel Carmilla in Dallas she was the only telepath she knew. There was no loophole, and yet her mind still scrambled to find one as the gist of the information slowly sunk in.

Betrayal. But not nearly as pure and simple as the betrayal of sleeping with Eric. This was a thousand little and big lies. Why he said he came back to Bon Temps: a lie. Why he did the DGD meeting: a lie. Why he gave her his blood: a lie. Why he made love to her: a lie. Why he _proposed_ to her: a lie.

As much as she wanted to run from the knowledge, the longer she sat there the more her memories became clouded and now freshly colored and she knew there was no going back.

She shuddered as she realized she had no one. She had had no one after Gran's death. She had had no one loving her through it all. He was no one. Just a fool being paid, or at least reimbursed, to be good to her. Her first _everything_: a lie.

She wanted to feel the anger, she wanted to feel the hurt, but all she really felt was tired. To-the-bone tired. The kind of tired that walks around with you and doesn't go away with sleep. When would it ever end? When would things ever go back to normal? And as she curled up on the chaise lounge and tried to sleep, she hated herself for still feeling all the love she possessed and the ache in her heart for Bill Compton.


	9. Chapter 9

There she lay, peacefully asleep on the mauve chaise lounge, surrounded by the scattered entrails of Bill's file. Bill's file that she was never supposed to see, that he had thought he had hidden so well.

Eric felt an unpleasant, and distantly familiar pang in his stomach as he watched her. He was perplexed by it until he felt a lurch in his insides that shot into his arms and legs, begging him to go hold her and make it right. It was an urge he virtually never felt in his 1,000 year long vampire life.

"Fuck, Sookie Stackhouse," he murmured as he reveled in both the newness and the incredible oldness of what he was feeling. He knew he would hurt her, beat her, abuse her yet before this story was through, but he would love her too.

Just this once, he would give in to his desire to be less than the Big Bad vampire she saw him as. He crossed to her and sat down beside her. Her eyes flicked open and her face immediately resolved into a glare that spoke volumes.

"When were you going to tell me?" She gritted out through clenched teeth.

"When I thought the time was right."

"What is this, some big game to you? Torture Sookie Stackhouse, keep her like a rat in a maze and wait for the perfect moment to spring it on her?" She was livid, he had never seen her this angry.

He looked down in shame. He longed to tell her to put the blame where it belonged, on her beloved fiancé, but he didn't have the heart. Not when she had hit the nail right on the head like that.

"Sookie I'm so sorry," he whispered so softly she could barely hear him.

"What did you just say?" She asked, hardly able to believe her own ears.

"You were never meant to see that. I was going to tell you as gently as I could, I swear."

"Thank you, but…there's no good way to get news like this. This way was as good as any I guess."

Eric nodded and Sookie took one of his large hands between her own two small ones.

"Now I don't know which to be more worried about: what's happening to Bill, or what will happen to me once Sophie-Anne…"

"I will protect you Sookie Stackhouse."

His words rang clear and authoritative like an edict but his face told her it was not protection of a sheriff for one of his responsibilities, but the protection of a man for a woman.

"Eric," she whispered. While he couldn't seem to stop saying her name, she very rarely said his name, and it was even more powerful now because of its disuse.

Her body is sacred, he thought, as he caressed her collarbones. And I consecrate my body to her. He softly pressed his lips to hers and then drew back. It was a stamp, a seal of a kiss.

"Are you ready to be mine, lover?"

She hesitated.

"Last time I was borrowing you, and I can borrow you again now if you wish it. But if you are ready to be mine, say the words."

She had an engagement ring on her finger and yet this proposal somehow seemed much more profound than the way Bill had sought to possess her. And Bill had failed, she realized, he had utterly failed.

Just when Eric was about to lose hope he heard the words spoken with a gravity and sense of intention he had never dared dream of.

"I am yours, Eric Northman."

He grinned like a schoolboy and without warning scooped her up into his arms. He carelessly crunched through the remains of Bill and strode to his bedroom where he ceremoniously laid her out on his king-sized bed.

"What would you like?" He asked as casually as if he were taking her order at a restaurant.

"First the blood," she whispered. He grinned wolfishly and she narrowed her eyes.

"Bite my hand, and then bite yours," she requested. She flinched as his fangs pierced the palm of her hand. When he had bit his own she spoke again,

"I have done this one other time, with my best friend Tara. This is a blood bond of the human kind. Blood ties."

She placed her palm against his, laced their fingers together and squeezed.

Eric couldn't remember the last time he had been so moved. He stared into her eyes, and then at their linked hands. Sookie was the one to remove her hand first. Eric could easily understand why she had not shared this with Bill. It was childish, true, but Eric was wise enough to know that children's magic was often the most powerful magic of all.

As he stared at her he couldn't decide what he wanted to do with her first. Much to his surprise Sookie decided for him. She pulled the pajama top over her head and pushed the bottoms and her panties down and wriggled out of them. She held up her arms for inspection, looked at her breasts, ran her hands down her stomach experimentally, and marveled at her tan, muscled legs, smiling like she was discovering her body for the first time, and she liked what she saw.

"yes, Sookie. You are beautiful."

She blushed and beamed even more brightly and Eric stripped himself and climbed onto the bed beside her.

"This is the beginning," he murmured, and leaned over to kiss her. Her plump, heart-shaped lips opened to him and he drank her in. He slipped his tongue into her mouth and once again understood why humans loved kissing so much. Kissing with Sookie was pure sensuality, their tongues gliding over each other, their hands ghosting over each other.

Sookie idly noticed she had never gotten so wet with just kissing. But it was hardly just kissing with his body so close to hers she could feel the air between them practically hum, and she felt like a magnet being pulled to him.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door.

"Who is that?" Sookie asked, her heart jumping in fear, ready to run (or really in this case hide) in a millisecond.

Eric laughed at her reaction, "That would be Pam with your pizza."

**AN: I will be writing ahead from now on out so I always have something to post. However…I am of course still taking requests from readers!**


	10. Chapter 10

"What are you going to eat?" Sookie asked as she pulled Pam's pajamas back on. She noticed that Eric made no move to re-dress.

"Well I was kind of hoping…" his voice trailed off suggestively and he made a possessive grab on her neck. Sookie trembled, about to rip the pajamas back off again but her stomach growled, interrupting her.

"Come in, child," Eric said and Pam entered, carrying a large pizza box with a container of salad and a can of soda balanced on top.

"Did you tip the pizza boy?" Eric asked as she spread the dinner out on the bed in front of Sookie.

"In my own way," Pam smiled wickedly and settled herself on the bed, adjusting her powder blue pencil skirt.

"Pamela, we've talked about this," Eric said in his warning voice.

Pam shrugged, "He enjoyed it."

Sookie blushed, and rapidly took several bites of pizza.

"I hope you stay here for awhile, Sookie," Pam continued, "I could get used to take-out."

Eric shook his head in mock disapproval but he was smiling. He couldn't help but be indulgent to his child. He leaned back and then lay down completely, relaxing. He couldn't believe how content he was. He was naked, his favorite, with his two favorite people, in his bedroom. And watching Sookie polish off a third piece of pizza that _he_ had provided for…this simple scene was perfection, he realized. Remember this, his mind told him, because this is 'it'. This is your American dream. His best friend, his lover, good food, and his home.

"So what's our plan?" Sookie asked, taking a drink from her Diet Coke.

Eric thrilled at her so casual use of the word 'our'.

"We will find Bill. But we will do so at the Queen's command."

"But I thought she didn't want you interfering with her plan, and that included finding Bill," Sookie's eyebrows were in their perplexed expression, which both Eric and Pam couldn't help but find adorable.

"Never forget, Sookie, that I am many centuries older than Sophie-Anne, and more powerful in very important ways. We, Pam and I, are going to present you to the Queen. We will reveal how abysmally Bill's mission went, and explain that you are now my human as well as my employee. She may, however, rent you out for the use of your services."

Sookie gulped at this last, but Eric was pleased with how well she was taking his ownership of her, particularly since she took such issue with it when she was Bill's.

"Sophie-Anne had planned to make you vampire," Eric continued, "With me of course that choice will be yours, a choice which we may discuss in more detail at another time."

"But if I go with you to her, why wouldn't she just take me then and there?"

"Because, my dear, knowing Bill has failed, she will want him found. He owes her a substantial amount of money, both in the form of a loan, and now also the reimbursement she had provided him with. She knows she will need me to find him and bring him to her."

"But isn't that your job? I mean, no matter what happened to me, you'd still have to find him, right?"

Eric's smile then terrified Sookie,

"There are many who think Sophie-Anne abuses her power, and there are many who support a revolution, so to speak."

"Are you one of those?"

"No, I am not a revolutionary. I am a capitalist first and foremost, which is why I came to this country."

Pam finally spoke up, "Eric and I have allegiances in Mississippi that may prove useful should the need arise."

Sookie looked ready to protest again when Eric placed a finger over her lips to quiet her.

"Do not worry. I have things under control."

Sookie lazily nodded her head, her lips slipping open around Eric's finger which she sucked into her mouth. She closed her jaw, her teeth barely touching his skin, and dragged them down the length of his finger.

"I guess that's my cue to go," Pam remarked, gathering up the dinner things and leaving the two lovers alone.

"Where were we before your human needs so rudely interrupted us?"

"I was naked," Sookie answered, whipping the red pajamas off with grace, "And you were eating me out."

Eric grinned, "I was doing no such thing."

"Well it's what you should have been doing," she replied blithely.

"Now that we agree on."

His hands drifted down the length of her body in a never-ending caress until he reached her feet where he switched direction. This time, his fingers tiptoed up the inside of her ankles, her calves, her knees, her thighs, until he reached her dark blonde curls.

"What do you want me to do to you," he asked in a low, rough voice, his breath tantalizing against the delicate skin down there.

Sookie gulped, "Well…Pam said something about a 'full treatment' and asked if you'd gone down on me…"

"I see," he mumbled, rubbing his cheek against her mound, "Tell me, surely Bill serviced you."

Even a word as ugly as 'serviced' sounded sexy as hell in his voice.

"Y-yes. B-but…h-he…not for…long," she stuttered out as he began to plant hot open-mouthed kisses on her hip bones.

"And you were embarrassed," he asked, his gaze flicking up to her eyes.

She blushed and nodded.

"That is something you should never have felt, and something you must never be with me."

He ran his fingers up and down her soft folds, over and over again. When he finally felt her gluteus muscles unclench and her thighs loosen and flop open he opened her up. She wasn't very wet, very anxious and self-conscious obviously.

"You must allow yourself to let go, Sookie," he whispered, and ran his tongue down the length of her pelvis, before focusing on her clit which he tickled gently before ramming it down with his thumb. Her breath hitched. So she liked that, he was getting to know her.

She wanted to push him down and straddle him but she would be patient. He started sucking and biting on her nipples, and ran his fingernails down her stomach. Her breath started coming faster and she felt her vagina contract and gush wetness. She thought, yes, finally, and then blushed at the thought.

"Scoot down to the edge, lover," he whispered.

She scooted down to the end of the bed. In the darkness the only light was coming from the cracks of the curtain. The room was bare, with only the bed. It was perfect simplicity and she imagined she saw her body supine on the bed. Her body gleaming white against the gray-purple light. Her breasts perfect little mounds almost flat on her chest, her nipples erect. Her stomach flat and soft, the thick darkness before her smooth, strong legs. She felt beautiful, and full, like her body was doing something it wanted to, that it was meant to.

His tongue and fingers were amazing, and then he began patting her clit, hard. She wanted to make sounds and let the moans and cries out but all she could do was breathe. She raised her arms over her head, longing that strong hands and arms would pin her down and his weight would crush her and she would scream out for mercy.

"Do I tease you too much?" he asked. She just laughed. Then his fingers went into her.


	11. Chapter 11

"You must know she will come for me," Bill growled at Lorena.

"Of course she will," Lorena drawled sarcastically, putting the finishing touches on her eye make-up. She smiled at Bill in the huge bathroom mirror.

"Russell told us to dress for dinner," Lorena reminded him sharply. Bill was still wearing the now very rumpled clothes he had been kidnapped in.

"You'll have to forgive me if I don't feel like indulging Russell's every request."

"You really should feel like indulging mine, Bill, in your position."

He said nothing, but sat down in one of the two luxurious armchairs that sat in front of the plasma TV. Their room was as comfortable as a penthouse suite in any five-star hotel but it might as well have been a dungeon torture chamber for Bill with Lorena holding him captive in it.

"What do you think Sookie is doing right now," Lorena mused, "Besides a very blonde, very large Viking that is of course?"

Bill roared and charged at her, pinning her against the bathroom wall. She laughed deep in her throat,

"If this is the only way I can be close to you, I'll take what I can get."

Bill released her with disgust and began to pace.

"We used to have some pretty good times, Bill. You should consider that before you throw it all away."

Eric rolled over onto his stomach lazily. He could get used to this, he thought. Not only was it good sex, and that was the understatement of the year, but it was companionable and comfortable, two things Eric had never realized he had been looking for until now when he had found them.

"There are still a few hours left until dawn. Would you like to stay here, or would you like to go to your home?"

"Sick of me already?" She joked with a slap to his buttocks. He laughed and swatted her back.

"Seriously? You're letting me go home?"

"Of course I would be coming with you."

"Ah, darn it," she said sarcastically.

"We are still not sure if you play a role in Lorena's plan, or if Sophie-Anne will try to come for you now that you are not under Bill's mediocre protection."

"Eric I was joking."

She snuggled into him for a moment and then got up off the bed.

"I would like to go home."

"Very well. I will leave now to secure the area. You will follow with Pam in thirty minutes."

And he was gone, without so much as a kiss on the cheek or a pat on the head. Without his presence holding her up and holding her together she thought she might crumple and fall to pieces. Her life was smashed, wrecked in less than 24 hours. And still, all she felt was gone. A perfect wild entropy with Eric, and yet, gone.


	12. Chapter 12

AN: Sorry this update took so long. Thank you all for being patient with me!

Sookie crept up the stairs to her house, half-expecting Maryann or some crazed orgy-member to jump out at her at any moment. Tara should be inside, maybe unpacking some boxes. She could call Jason to come over and help her straighten up the house tomorrow. All would right itself in a few days, come out in the wash, however you wanted to say it. But this wasn't her house. It had been defiled in every way possible, with sex, with violence, with hatred, with chaos, and most importantly, with rotting meat.

She could still smell it even though they'd scrubbed everything for hours. She'd pretty much had the whole town working on it, they all felt so bad. Of course, some of them hadn't been much help being so hung-over, and with how Arleen couldn't stop crying. At least she had Terry to help her through it, though he was awkward as all get-out over the whole orgy thing. For once, Sookie approved in Arleen's taste in men. Although at this point he might have been the only one left, Sookie added with a giggle. Oh, even if her home had been completely wrecked it was still her home and it was good to be back. With Bill gone, and now with the knowledge that Bill had never truly been, she felt like she was starting over. Like the past several weeks had been erased and now she was once again, Sookie Stackhouse, the waitress. Surprisingly it was a good feeling.

She opened her front door, running her fingers lovingly over the peeling paint for a moment before stepping inside.

"Oh my God, thank Jesus," Tara cried, running to Sookie and wrapping her arms around her. "Where the Hell have you been? I've been worried sick about you. Is Bill here? Cause I'm gonna whoop his ass good for not calling home with so much as a by the by."

Sookie shook her head with a smile and hugged her friend again, tighter this time.

"Bill's gone," she whispered.

Tara pulled Sookie away to hold her at arm's length, "Bill's what now?"

Sookie smiled slightly and shook her head vaguely, "He's gone. I don't know if he's coming back and I don't know if I want him to."

"You can't be serious."

She nodded, "This vampire queen, Sophie-Anne? Well she hired Bill to come get me for her. Everything he ever said was a lie. And now he's been kidnapped and Eric doesn't know what that means for me, whether the Queen's gonna come and then there's something about Mississippi. I don't really know, but I'm so glad to be home."

Tara nodded and patted Sookie on the shoulder, "We gotta get you something to drink, girl. And then you can explain to me all this crazy-talk."

Sookie laughed and followed her friend into the kitchen.

"I found these old recipes of your Gran's. I've been tryin' to put together the house like she had, I'm sorry if I messed some things up but I keep callin' Jason and he won't return my calls."

"No, Tara, everything looks wonderful."

"Thanks Sook. There's something you should know, though, Sook…"

"What is it?"

"Sam's gone. He ain't told nobody where he went. All through that shit with Maryann he kept sayin' he was gonna leave but I figured that was just about her cause they had some kind of history. But I guess that wuddin't it cause he done left town."

"Is Merlotte's still open?"

"Sure, Terry's runnin' the place. I guess Sam asked him to before he left. I don't know, Sook, things is just as fucked up as ever."

Sookie nodded and poured herself a glass of lemonade and sat down with a sigh.

"I had sex with Eric," she said after taking a long drink.

"Oh Hell you did not!...who's Eric?"

"Vampire Sheriff of Area 5. I don't even know what that means anymore."

"And you had sex with him before or after Bill left?"

"Not left-kidnapped."

"Before or after?"

"Both."

"You is bad Sookie Stackhouse. Is he the one that's gonna be protectin' you from all this?"

"Yeah. He said he'd be here by now. He might be actually, just outside. It's still a couple hours before dawn."

"Now that's just fucked up, some vampire watching us," Tara jumped out and looked out the window. Sookie couldn't help but laugh.

"Laugh all you want but you's the one who keeps fucking these vampires and bringing them into our town."

Sookie laughed harder and harder until she snorted and then covered her mouth to muffle the giggles, "I'm sorry, Tara. I'm sorry, I just…things are so bad and all I want to do is laugh."

"Laugh all you want. But I tell you one thing, I don't want no vampire sex when I'm in this house, you got me?"

Sookie nodded, still giggling slightly when the doorbell rang. She jumped up excitedly and ran for the front door and threw it open. There he stood, and she felt herself blushing just at the way he was looking at her.

"Aren't you going to invite me in," he prompted her slowly.

She shook her head to clear it and blushed deeper, "Oh…of course. Won't you please come in?"

He smiled at her adorable confusion, and at the obvious happiness she felt being back in her own home. He was glad he had offered her this option.

"Eric this is my friend Tara. Tara this is Eric my…the Viking."

Eric suppressed a laugh at her introduction and crossed the room languidly to where Tara stood with her arms crossed over her chest, one hip thrown out, and her game face on.

"Pleased to meet you Tara," he said smoothly with a touch of glamour to soothe her.

"Don't you be tryin' that shit with me," she responded roughly. "I've spent the last few weeks in a chaos coma, I don't need nobody else fuckin' with my head."

Eric nodded soberly and turned to Sookie.

"Your perimeter is safe. I have my men surrounding the area until dawn when they will go to ground. By the end of tomorrow's night I should have a better idea what we could be dealing with. In the mean time, I will leave you girls to your catching up…and your cleaning up."

Sookie raised her eyebrows. She knew her house stank but there was still no call for him to bring it up.

"Did I say you could leave?" She said sassily, then instantly regretted her words at the savage expression that crossed his face before he neutralized it.

"I assumed you would not wish for me to stay. This is your home, and clearly I do not belong here."

She was surprised to see the hurt in his eyes as he said that and made to leave.

"I thought Bill belonged here just fine and look how that turned out," Sookie replied, "Don't leave me out on a limb here Eric, I'm asking you to stay."

He turned to face her and watched her eyes for an inscrutable moment before nodding once.

"As you wish," he said calmly, and ran a casual hand down her back. She smiled. There was the affection she had been waiting for. They might be long buried, but those impulses were still, she would just have to be patient.

She grinned up at him, "I'll make up the closet for you."


End file.
